FIRST AND FOREMOST

Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

This is the most beautiful time of the year to me. The leaves are coming back on the trees, the flowers are blooming out and I can sometimes smell the Daffodils as I see them bloom out in folks' yard. In Dallas the Azaleas are in bloom along Turtle Creek and since I live in Arkansas now, I still miss seeing their beauty.

My granddaughters and I were talking yesterday about the beautiful trees we saw as we were coming home from church. Upon closer look those wonderful trees with the sparkling white blossoms were Dogwood trees. My mom and dad used to going riding in the car for relaxation and my mother would always have dad stop and she would walk into the woods to pick the beautiful Dogwood blossoms to take home and enjoy.

Since this is Easter week the trees reminded me of the legend of the Dogwood tree. The legend goes that the Dogwood blossoms are in the form of a cross--two long and two short petals. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there is nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower there is a crown of thorns, and all who see it will remember how during this season Jesus gave His life on the cross of Calvary for you and I.

As we think about this Holy Week, we can remember how Jesus sought God in the garden while His disciples slept - FATHER, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME, NEVERTHELESS NOT WILL BUT THINE BE DONE - he was arrested - Peter cut off the ear of one of the soldier and amazingly Jesus put it back on healed like a newborn babe - when he said I was among you every day and you did not arrest me and here you are coming after me with a band of soldiers and forcibly taking me - even to when they asked Him who He was and He said I AM and they fell back because of the authority of what He said...even to being betrayed by Judas for 30 pieces of silver....what a long week He spent....what a price He paid....for You and me.

These events in the garden was just the beginning of His week. The amazing part of this event is that JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD - THE CREATOR OF THIS UNIVERSE - WHO SAID 'LET IT BE' AND IT WAS. As the song says 'He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy this world and set Him free - He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone for you and me.'

Jesus was falsely accused. Have you ever been falsely accused? Our preacher was talking about this Sunday. He said that if we truly live for God, there will be times that we are falsely accused -it is called persecution. There is nothing worse that I can think of than being falsely accused - lied about if you will - by people you associate with. Even a little white lie sometimes grows until it is unrecognizable. Times that your hands are tied and you really can't do anything short of 'duking' it out - but since 'duking' is out of the question (haha) - we have to do it God's way. That is what God is looking for in us - doing it His Way - nevertheless not my will but Yours be done, Lord.

No matter what the situation, we first of all like King Hezekiah (which is my favorite story) must go to God with the things that concern us.

Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and in 2 Kings 20 we read:

IN THOSE DAYS WAS HEZEKIAH SICK UNTO DEATH. AND THE PROPHET ISAIAH THE SON OF AMOS CAME TO HIM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, THUS SAITH THE LORD, SET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER; FOR YOU SHALL DIE, AND NOT LIVE.

THEN HE TURNED HIS FACE TO THE WALL, AND PRAYED UNTO THE LORD, SAYING, I BESEECH THEE, O LORD, REMEMBER NOW HOW I HAVE WALKED BEFORE YOU IN TRUTH AND WITH A PERFECT HEART, AND HAVE DONE THAT WHICH IS GOOD IN YOUR SIGHT.

AND IT CAME TO PASS BEFORE ISAIAH WAS GONE OUT INTO THE MIDDLE COURT, THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO HIM SAYING TURN AGAIN AND TELL HEZEKIAH THE CAPTAIN OF MY PEOPLE THUS SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF DAVID THY FATHER, I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRAYERS, I HAVE SEEN YOUR TEARS; BEHOLD I WILL HEAL YOU; ON THE THIRD DAY YOU SHALL GO UP UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AND I WILL ADD UNTO YOUR DAYS FIFTEEN YEARS.....

King Hezekiah did not consult with any of his wise counselors or best friends. What does it say - THEN HE TURNED HIS FACE TO THE WALL, AND PRAYED UNTO THE LORD.

Speaking of trees - Psalms 1 talks about BLESSED (happy) IS THE MAN THAT WALKS NOT IN THE COUNSEL OF THE UNGODLY, NOT STANDS IN THE WAY OF SINNERS, NOR SITS IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL BUT (there's the but) HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD; AND IN HIS LAW DOES HE MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT. (get this) AND HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE RIVERS OF WATER, THAT BRINGS FORTH HIS FRUIT IN HIS SEASON; HIS LEAF ALSO SHALL NOT WITHER; AND WHATSOEVER HE DOES SHALL PROSPER.

Is it foolishness to go to God first - turn our face to the wall and pray like Hezekiah - God gives wisdom and THE RIGHT ANSWER. If you talked to me, I might not give you the best advice, but God is perfect in wisdom and power. He can do exceedingly abundantly above anything we can ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)

There is a chorus I sing that says - I cast all my cares upon You. I lay all of my burdens down at Your Feet, and any time that I don't know just what to do, I just cast all my cares upon You.'

Father, help us to remember always to cast our cares first and foremost on You. Help us to cast them upon You and turn and walk away knowing that everything is in Your capable Hands. In Jesus name we pray. Amen (it is done)

Have a great day!